..::The Gnostics were, in fact, knowers of a secret so deadly and terrible that the rulers of this world--i.e., the powers secular and religious, who always profited from the established systems of society--could not afford to have this secret known, and even less, to have it publicly proclaimed within their domain. Indeed, the Gnostics knew something, and it was this: that human life does not fulfill its promise within the structures and establishments of society, for all of these are at best shadowy projections of another and more fundamental reality. No one comes to her true selfhood by being what society wants her to be, nor by doing what it wants her to do...society, church, trade and profession, political and patriotic allegiances, as well as moral and ethical rules and commandments, are not, in reality, in the least conducive to true spiritual welfare of the human soul. On the contrary, they are more often than not, the very shackles which keep us from our spiritual destiny::..
. . . .
..::If we don't accept the challenge of the Hero's Journey, we will slip back into the ordinary world of our ego, with all its flaws, and continue living our boring lives, endlessly repeating the same hurts and fears::..
The Synchonicity Key
David Wilcock
. . . .
"I like you, my young Baron," the professor said in their first meeting; "In an earlier age you might have become a real heretic and would have been burned by the Dominicans!"
These promising opening remarks led to a friendship, punctuated by almost daily meetings at the reading room of the American library at Innsbruck, and on rare occasions of momentary prosperity at a nearby cafe, over Turkish coffee and French cognac.
"We may have a treat for you this afternoon," the professor said to his companion. "A strange book is on its way to us that will assuredly interest you."
"A strange book? Of what content and authorship?"
"I am told it concerns your old friends, the Gnostic heretics, whom you never cease to rave about--and moreover it was written by another man whom you are interested in, the redoubtable Dr. Jung."
"The Swiss psychologist, who lives across the mountains from here, and who is reputed to be a regular wizard in the good old tradition of witches and alchemists?" the young man asked, not without some excitement.
"The very same. The "Hexenmeister" (warlock) of Zurich himself."
Stephan A. Hoeller
The Gnostic Jung
'Rain. I'd forgotten about the rain...' Emlyn was sodden in a minute, as were her friends. She looked at them unhappily, then took their arms, 'How, or why you are here now, I cannot fathom. But...oh, come on, then...'
Stepping up to the wide front porch flanked by Doric columns,
And rapped again.
At last, footsteps approached. And, the door was opened by none other than Uncle Daryl, aka Diego.
He gazed, one eyebrow lifted in mild surprise, then, slightly shaking his head, ushered them within.
'Thank you, D-Diego...' Emlyn was starting to shiver, as were the deluged Jeanne and Shannon, rivulets running from them into puddles on the chessboard floor.
Daryl merely studied the Triad, and shut the door.
'Let's get you sorted, then, in here...' and he escorted Jeanne and Shannon into the bath just off the kitchen. 'Bath, and shower: both with hot water,' he assured them, 'Towels in here,' he opened a cupboard, 'robes, as well, and Emlyn will see to your wet things.'
'I forgot about the rain here! Oh, my mandolin!' Em dropped her valise and sloughed off her mando case, cracking it open.
'Thank gods it's still dry...'
'Indeed.' Daryl eyed her darkly. Then he turned to her friends once more, 'If you will excuse us...' and closed the bathroom door.
Wordlessly, Daryl took Emlyn's soaked arm and steered her upstairs. He took her into his suite, with it's own separate and rather luxurious bath, but he did not leave her to see to her sodden self as he had the others; he merely tossed her a towel off the rack, and took a chair, nodding for Emlyn to seat herself, rather ignobly, upon the cotton tufted toilet.
They sat, staring at one another, until Daryl finally gestured her way, 'Well?'
'Daryl...' Emlyn began, wiping the drips from her hair and face, at least, 'I know why I am here, but where Jeanne and Shannon came from, I, it's, that...certainly, was not part of the plan!'
Daryl, stone-faced still, merely stared. 'The plan. And what, pray, is this plan?'
Em sighed, staring at the black and white tile chessboard floor. Her move. 'To, to get away from Gwydion! Or, try to, at least!'
She threw the towel on the floor. 'He tricked me! I, we, took every precaution! I was never alone. Jethro, my friends, the entire town were all about me, always!' She shook her head, 'To no avail...'
Daryl stood then, looking down at her, his expression still unreadable, but softening somewhat. 'Naturally, you did the best thing by coming here. But.' He looked toward the door, running a hand through his hair, 'The others...' he sighed, 'Well, what's done is done.'
He strode to the door then, looking down once more, 'You know where your room, and things are. Nothing has been changed since you were here last. If need be, the girls can stay over, in one of the guest rooms. Feel free to use my bath. I'm going down to the lab, to check on Jack.' He then flashed Emlyn a warning glance, and shut the door.
For a moment Em just sat where she was, stunned and sodden.
At last, she gave in to the siren call of hot water, and began to run a bath in Daryl's immense tub worthy of a Caesar. Checking the wardrobe, she found a couple of dark navy fluffy robes, and taking more towels, she shed her drenched apparel and allowed herself a soak.
Oh, gods, to simply BE, for just a moment; and not have to constantly worry and chase about, and guard against this or that threat...as weary and bedeviled as Emlyn was, she had reached a sort of saturation point, and simply couldn't think anymore. Whatever madness had happened just now...she just didn't give a fig.
She sunk lower into the hot steaming bath, her head going under, and then came up. There. Better.
Whatever would come later, let it come. Now was all that mattered. She decided to make 'now' last as long as she possibly could...
. . . .
Indeed, 'now' must have taken quite a while, for when Emlyn had toweled off and dressed, she came downstairs to find both Jeanne and Shannon in the kitchen, having tea and muffins with Jack and Daryl, and an oddly domestic scene they made, in their wet hair and robes.
'I'll just dry your clothes...' Em began, tucking her own damp locks behind her ears.
'Already in the dryer,' Daryl informed her. 'Have some hot tea. I'm making a stew for dinner. And eat some fruit; I won't have you taking ill.' He set a bowl of oranges before them, then returned to his garlic-chopping.
'Rose hip tea,' Shannon informed her. 'Quite good against colds...' She seemed her bright, cheerful, although rather bedraggled self, and looked about her, taking in the modern kitchen with quiet amazement. She began to peel an orange.
Jeanne seemed more reserved, and shot Em odd, questioning glances; her demeanor guarded. She took an orange, however.
Emlyn did as well, and poured tea for herself.
'So,' Jeanne began, 'Diego said that you would be the one to explain...all this. Where are we, Emlyn?'
Em bit her lip, and sat across from the girls. Where to begin?
'We are in Massachusetts. At Jack and Diego's house.'
'Quite the house!' Shannon stated, eyes wide.
Em sighed, 'Yes...well...' Thank you, Daryl, for leaving it all up to me! she thought. 'Why did you both suddenly come rushing into my room, at Mrs. Murphy's?'
Shannon demurely peeled her orange, 'She told us you were leaving...that your 'uncle''--she glanced sideways at Daryl, '--had fallen off his horse, so your cousin, was it?--had told you...and you had to be off suddenly...'
Emlyn groaned inwardly, noting that Daryl had ceased chopping, and was frowning at her, knife in hand. Not a pretty picture...
'I had to be away, immediately. And this is the only place I would be absolutely safe from...' she sighed once more, '...from Gwydion.'
'What?' Jeanne roused herself, 'When did you see him?'
'At the ceilidh,' Em frowned, tearing her orange to pieces, 'He was disguised as a young blond lad, and we were dancing...'
--a loud 'twack!' was heard from Daryl's knife then, as he attacked some carrots with undisguised hostility. Jack, quiet though out, merely glanced his way a moment.
Em continued, 'We were surrounded by people! You were all there! And Jethro as well, within arm's reach!'
Jeanne frowned, 'We saw you with several of the lads from town and the ceremony. But, yes, that one blond boy you were with, I didn't recognize.'
'It was he, Gwydion. I didn't know, until it was too late.'
Daryl spoke up then, 'I would like for you all to stay to dinner at least. And you are most welcome to stay the night here as well, there is plenty of room.' He tossed vegetables into a large pot. 'I believe your clothes are dry...' and he made his exit.
'Red,' Shannon nodded to Em, speaking around her orange, 'His aura. He is not pleased....' She looked at Jack then, 'But Jack...' she tilted her head quizzically, '...most odd, that...'
'What do you see?' he asked.
'Something I've not seen before...not sure what would cause it. Your aura is much changed. It is, in fact, now a double aura.'
Daryl re-entered then, his arms full of clothing.
'Did I hear correctly?' He handed the girls their warm bundles. 'Jack has a double aura, you say? What else do you see?'
Shannon shook out her frock, studying Jack curiously, 'Well, his colours are quite vivid, sort of...full of a kind of energy that is...oh, it's hard to describe! A sort of...' she moved her fingers about, 'vibrating energy.'
Jeanne nodded, 'I can feel it.' She held her hands, palms outward, toward Jack, 'Yes. It's...almost rather, hmm...sizzling.' She smiled at Jack, 'You have certainly become energized, somehow.'
Jack looked down, staring into his tea. 'Yes. I, I have been meditating, and working out in the practice room...'
'He practices karate,' Em supplied, looking concerned.
'Yes. But, it is hard for me to...relax, since...' he sighed and looked up at them, his pupils enlarged to dark obsidian moons.
Jeanne stood then, nervously clutching her clothing. 'Thank you for tea, Diego, and for...everything...but,' she looked pointedly at Shannon, 'we ought to be getting back home, soon.'
'I don't mind...' Shannon began ingenuously, then Jeanne stared her down, '...Ah, well, perhaps we should be getting on...' she stood and glanced about her, '--However we can, ah, do so...?'
'Of course.' Daryl was all the proper host now, satisfied his demarche had it's intended effect. 'I will personally be sure to see you both safely home, whenever you are ready.'
Emlyn stood as well. 'Come upstairs and we'll get you together properly, first.' She gestured her friends upstairs, and away from the men. Em would make certain she had time to discuss a thing or two with the girls before they were away.
. . . .
Once they were alone in Emlyn's room, the floodgates opened:
'What in the world is going on here, Em? How did we arrive here?' Jeanne frowned at her, hurriedly dressing.
'And whatever has happened to Jack?!' Shannon just stood, holding her clothing, and looking past the door, where the men sat downstairs.
Emlyn had to tell them something. But what, exactly, and how much? She sat upon her bed.
Sighing softly, she began: 'Diego has...well, certain, powers of his own. He is a magician. Has been for many years. That's why I came here to be safely away from Gwydion's reach. This is a protected area.'
'Time is out of joint, here,' Jeanne looked about, buttoning up. 'This goes far beyond any 'magics'...'
Emlyn merely looked at her, hoping that she wouldn't press things...
'...And Jack!' Shannon shook off her daze, and began dressing as well, 'He is...transformed, somehow. And, there is much in his aura that should be of concern to you! Something, some power, ancient and dark, seems to have somehow gotten into him.' She sat beside Em, pulling on stockings, 'I'm not sure I really want to know more! But, Emlyn...' She touched her friend's arm, '...take care around Jack.'
This stung Em to the core...had the Atlantean crystal infected Jack with some malignant influence? Was Jack still 'Jack' at all? Since she felt that his 'fall' had been her fault for not keeping him away from Morgana, she had resisted this line of inquiry. But, perhaps she needed to face it head-on, for all their sakes...
She helped to braid and pin her friends' hair, and straighten their apparel, then, reluctantly agreed they were ready to be off.
'As soon as I can, I will be back at Mrs. Murphy's. I'm not letting Gwydion scare me off! I just need, a safe space for a while, and time to think.'
Jeanne and Shannon understood this, but left her with words of care and caution: 'I don't know what is going on here, with Diego, or Jack, or this...place...' Jeanne scowled at the big house with disapproval, '...but if you will be safe here,' she sighed, 'I suppose it is better for you to be here than in Gwydion's clutches.'
'It isn't a bad place, Jeanne! And I trust Diego.' Em realized she was stretching there, somewhat... 'But, I will return. And, I think, now that you have been here, Diego won't mind if ever you wished to visit here again.
As I rather hoped you might. I do miss you so, both of you!' She hugged her friends. 'I only just arrive, when I'm off again! Oh, we haven't had a chance to even catch up yet!'
All stood huddled together, just sharing a moment of closeness for a space. At last, Shannon backed off from Em, smiling, 'No, I think you're right; this place doesn't feel negative, really, only rather strange. I get a much better 'feel' from here, than, say, your Nob Hill abode!' She looked at Jeanne, 'I, for one, would love to visit here with you again.'
Em smiled and squeezed her arm, 'Thank you. If ever you wish to do so, just let me know!'
'How?' Shannon asked, wondering.
'I'm fairly sure, that if either of you, or both, certainly, just hold a mental picture of this place in your mind, I will feel you calling, and we can bring you here...same way as you came.'
'I'm not so sure about returning...not anytime soon,' Jeanne pulled her shawl tightly about her, 'But, I do agree with Shannon, that you should be rather cautious around Jack.' She put a hand up, 'I know! Whatever has influenced him wasn't his doing, but, it's there now!
We'll...study on this. If we can find something that may help Jack, we'll let you know.' She shook her head at Em. 'Take care, Cambria! 'Tis never a dull moment with you, girl!'
'I'll be back, Em!' Shannon flashed a defiant glance at Jeanne, 'Sometime. Til then, yes, take care, do! And, don't let Gwydion get away with chasing you from your home, and your friends!' She gave Em a quick hug once more, 'We'll see you again, then! Soon, yes?'
Em nodded, and they filed out into the hallway and back down the winding staircase onto the parquet chessboard floor below.
. . . .
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